Fighting Lessons
by lovely102
Summary: Alice has decided to stay in the frontier with Uncas, so he teaches her the basic lessons to know how to defend herself. Uncas/Alice story divided in two parts.
1. Chapter 1

They have decided that Cora and Alice needed to learn how to defend themselves. It was clear since the day they have chosen to stay with them in the frontier instead of returning to England. Cora was the first one to start with the lessons and, since the first day, she has proved that she was quite a fighter, impressing Nathaniel with her knife skills every time she practiced with him.

Today it was Alice's turn. The little sister is a bit nervous, not only because she feels insecure with the idea of using a knife, but because it was Uncas who is going to teach her. Since the battle on the cliffs, where he risked his life bravely in order to save her and where he was able to kill Magua in the last moment, she began to know him better. Sometimes, they spend time alone together and they even had shared a few timid kisses. However, she is still a bit shy around him and the thought of him teaching her how to fight makes her blood run fast.

Uncas is looking forward to start with the lesson. He knows that his father and brother believe that teaching Alice will be the most difficult part because Cora was always the "strong sister" in their eyes, but he has faith on her. After all, she has proved to be brave too, enduring all the dangers that they had to face since their arrival, without complaining once.

That afternoon, Uncas takes her to a clearing in the forest where they can practice without being disturbed. Alice is wearing a white mid sleeve gown, very simple compared with the ones she used to wear in the past. Her hair is tied up with a tie of the same colour and she wears the golden bracelet that Uncas used to wear on his left wrist and which he gave her two nights ago. When he saw her at the porch before, she was so beautiful with her white dress and golden hair that he had felt bad for having to teach someone so innocent and pure such horrible things like fighting to death. However, in the frontier it's necessary for a pretty young girl to know how to defend herself, and she had agreed without any complaint.

When they arrive to the clearing, he pulls his knife from his belt and gives it to her. Then he places himself behind her. "Hold the knife this way" he explains with one hand on her wrist and the other on her waist "this is the correct position of your body to fight" he continues as he shows her the basic movements to disarm an enemy with a knife. However, it's difficult for her to focus on the lesson with him so close to her. _He is so handsome with his garnet calico shirt and he seems so tall and broad holding me,_ she thinks while her cheeks start to blush.

When Alice has learned the basics movements more or less, Uncas puts his knife in his belt again and picks up two wooden sticks from the ground and gives her one. "We are going to pretend that these are the knives. It's safer to practice with them" he said as he places himself in front of her "I´m going to approach you as if I was an enemy. Try to defend yourself like I have taught you".

Watching her intently, the Mohican notices that she seems a bit hesitant and nervous so he approaches to her.

"I promise I won't hurt you" he assures her, stroking her cheek "I´m going to be as careful as possible"

"I know it. I'm safe with you" Alice said smiling sweetly.

_He thinks I'm afraid of him._ She is amused by this fact because, after all the things he has done for her, being her protector since they met, there couldn´t be any situation in which she was scared of him. It´s true that she has seen him fight before and he was really a fierce warrior but, above all, he is _her_ Uncas. The man who two nights ago had taken her to a nearby lake, where he told her stories about his people. Then he had taken off his golden bracelet, adjusting it around her thin wrist, as a gift, and they had shared a sweet kiss before he took her back to the cabin, where they live with the rest of the family.

Alice braces herself and Uncas, still touched by what she has said a moment ago, makes a sign to her. The second part of the lesson begins.

This is the first part of a short story that I have divided in two chapters. The second one will be updated soon. What do you think is going to happen during the lesson? Reviews are welcomed! I have to say that I speak English but it's not my mother language so if you find some mistake, please tell me because it's a way to improve it.

Thank you so much:)


	2. Chapter 2

It's impossible. Alice tries with all her might but Uncas overpowers her without effort. Half the time, he makes her drop her stick with two simple movements, and the other half, he catches her wrist to prevent her attacks, while pointing his stick towards her neck. _This is difficult for her _Uncas thinks while she picks up her stick from the ground once again. He is aware that it´s her first time doing this and he is being gentle, but he knows that any man who wants to assault her, will not have mercy on her. That's why he has to push her to the limit. It feels weird, being here "fighting" with her when the only thing he wants to do is sit with her and talk, while caressing each other. He focuses again on the present. There will be time for that later.

_Why I'm so weak?_ she thinks frustrated _I know he is not using half of his skills and even so, I feel completely helpless in front of him. _However, he is extremely patient with her, correcting her movements and encouraging her to keep going. Suddenly, because of a swift attack from him, she trips over her dress and falls to the ground, ripping part of the bottom of the skirt. _Stupid dresses_ Alice thinks furious. Uncas rushes over her "Are you alright? Do you need a break?" he asks, helping her up. She feels completely embarrassed _What is he going to think about me? Surely, that I'm no more than a silly English lady unable to defend herself._ She wasn't expected to defeat him. After all, he had spent his life fighting with men much stronger than her. But she expected not being so pathetic. No, she couldn´t give up yet. "I don't need any break. We can continue".

A while later, after he has disarmed her for the last time, she is leaning with her back against a tree, trying to catch her breath. She has lost her tie during the lesson and her hair is loose around her shoulders. Uncas knows she is exhausted. He watches her intently and blame himself for not being aware of that before. In fact, he was having a good time with her. At first he thought that she was going to get tired soon but she has proved to be very tough, not complaining once and fighting fiercely against him. It's true that he defeated her every time but it was understandable: he was stronger than her and trained to fight since he was a boy. However, she had been very brave, doing something so improper for a lady like her, not mentioning how beautiful she is when she fights. He is really proud of her.

"We must stop for today. You are tired" Uncas announces. _Of course he wants to stop. He is tired of teaching a useless girl _She feels really bad. No matter how hard she had tried it, the result is that while he is now in front of her in perfect state, she is exhausted, her hair undone, her dress torn and she is unable to continue. _I'm not worth it. He deserves a brave woman who is able to survive in this land, a woman like my sister Cora _she thinks sadly._ Oh, but how I love him. I want nothing more than to stay here with him, living in a little cabin and rising a family together. No, I have to show him that I'm prepared for this kind of life, no matter how tired I am_.

Suddenly, with a groan of frustration, Alice throws herself against him, in a last attempt to fight him.

Unfortunately for her, his reflexes are perfect and Uncas catches her by the waist, lifting her off the ground and spinning around, laughing.

"Calm down little fighter, have mercy on me" he exclaimed amused by her unexpected attempt to "attack" him. This girl never ceases to surprise him.

"Sit down for a while. I'm going to bring you water" he says as he goes to the spot where he has left the canteen. When he comes, she is sat against a tree and he does the same as she drinks. When she finishes Uncas notices that there are tears in her cheeks.

"What happens? Did I hurt you?" the Mohican asks as he wipes her tears with his thumbs. She shakes her head.

"All I wanted was to impress you like Cora impressed Nathaniel during her first lesson" she explains "But I was unable to learn anything. Uncas, I don´t deserve you. You need a strong woman, one who…"

"Stop Alice" he exclaims "I don't want any other woman. You are the one that I love" It was the first time that he says it out loud, though he hoped that his actions had spoken for him. "You were very brave and you impressed me a lot today"

"Really?" she asked totally surprised.

"True warriors never give up, no matter how strong is the enemy, they fight until the end" he tells her. "That's what you have done today. And you almost knocked me when you threw yourself to me" he says with a playful smile.

Alice laughs remembering how Uncas had lifted her off the ground. It was quite funny. She thought about what he had said. Maybe he was right. She knew that she couldn't defeat him but she hadn't stopped trying. She is sure now that she will improve her fighting skills given time because he is a good teacher and she isn't going to give up.

"I'm sorry for your dress" he says touching the ripped cloth of the bottom of her skirt. "It's just a dress. I can sew it". Then she sees her hair tie on the grass and pick it up, tying it around his left wrist. "My gift to you" it was the same that he had said to her when he had given her his bracelet.

They look at each other intensely before meeting their lips in a more passionate kiss than the ones that they have shared before, exploring their tongues for the first time. Finally, they separate and embrace each other.

"We should come back. I'm looking forward to eat those biscuits that you have baked this morning" Uncas says smiling, offering his hand to help her up. Alice accepts it knowing how he loves her biscuits. In fact, this was the reason why she had baked them.

"If you are tired miss, I can carry you on my arms" he says with a mischievous smile.

"You silly" she chuckles, hitting him playfully on the chest "next time I will defeat you, my brave warrior"

"We'll see" Uncas replies. He wants to be called _"her brave warrior"_ more often.

"Let's go" Alice says, feeling a new confident growing inside her. For the first time she leads the way back home, through the forest.

**THE END**

* * *

_**Author's note: **Here is the second and last part of this short story. I hope you like it!. I wanted to show Alice evolve from a shy girl at the beginning of the lesson to a more confident woman at the end, because I always thought that inside her, there was a strong woman shadowed by her sister Cora._

_I have some ideas for future one-shots that I'm planning to publish in the next few weeks and I'm open to new suggestions. _


End file.
